Pros

Cons

Key Features

Review Price: £129.99

3Mpixel sensor

720/30p recording

H.264 MOV format at 7Mbits/sec

Extensive helmet and head mounting options

2GB MicroSD card included

As component costs have fallen, we’ve seen the arrival of keenly priced but ruggedised and waterproof camcorders, best epitomised by Kodak’s capable PLAYSPORT Zx5. But these models usually take the popular candybar format, which isn’t exactly ideal for attaching to your head or a helmet. Despite its drawbacks, most notably the usual lack of a LCD monitor, the bullet format is much more appropriate for this. The unusually named Dogcam specialises in this area, and the Bullet HD Wide is the company’s latest attempt to grab a piece of the action.

The Bullet HD Wide incorporates a 3Mpixel sensor, which will be more than enough for the 720p (920kpixels) shooting format it uses. The lens is fixed and, this being a bullet cam, the features on the camera itself are non-existent. A one second press of the metallic button on the top starts a recording, whilst a four-second press turns the camera off again, and that’s pretty much it. This simplicity can mean you trigger recording accidentally in a bag, or when attaching the camcorder to a mount, so care needs to be taken to prevent this.Video is recorded in H.264 QuickTime MOV format to MicroSD card, with a 2GB one and full-sized SD card adapter included in the box. Footage is captured at a data rate of 7Mbits/sec, meaning the supplied card will fill up after around 38 minutes of footage. So you’re likely to want to stock up on two or three cards (or one larger one) for most trips, particularly as the lack of an LCD screen means you won’t be able to review clips and delete unwanted ones when out in the field. The battery is fully enclosed, and lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours. It’s charged exclusively via the USB link, which hides underneath the screw-on end cap.